1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hatch doors of an elevator, and more particularly to an apparatus for closing the hatch doors of the elevator, which is applied to various types of doors of elevators and which is capable of reducing noise generated during opening and closing the hatch doors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, hatch doors of an elevator, when to be opened and closed, are connected to car doors of the elevator so as to be opened and closed with the car doors of the elevator when the car doors of the elevator are opened and closed. In a special case wherein a system for opening and closing the doors of the elevator malfunctions or the hatch doors do not come into connection with the car doors of the elevator so that the car doors only are closed, however, an undesired accident may occur due to the opening of the hatch doors of the elevator.
In recently developed apparatus, in order to close the hatch doors even though the hatch doors of the elevator are opened due to a malfunction of the system for opening and closing the doors of the elevator, the apparatus for closing the hatch doors of the elevator is mounted on the hatch doors. The apparatus for closing the hatch doors are of two types, namely a spring type and a weight type according to the closing manner. In the spring type of the hatch doors closing apparatus, the hatch doors are closed by using resilient forces of springs, while, in the weight type of the hatch doors closing apparatus, the hatch doors are closed by using the gravitational force of a weight.
Japanese Patent laid-open Publication Showa 60-26791, filed on Jul. 20, 1983 and published on Feb. 9, 1985, discloses a hatch door apparatus of an elevator which is capable of reducing noise generated due to upward and downward moving of a weight in the hatch door apparatus of the elevator and which automatically closes the hatch door apparatus of the elevator.
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of the hatch door apparatus of an elevator according to the conventional art. Referring to FIG. 1, the hatch door apparatus of the elevator according to the publication comprises hatch doors 4 and 4a which are horizontally opened and closed along a rail 3 mounted in a hanger case 2, a guide member 8 which is contained in one of the hatch doors 4 and 4a, for having a space extending longitudinally therein, a weight 10 which slidably moves along the space of the guide member 8 upward and downward, a rope 12 of which one end is connected to the weight 10 and the other end is connected to the hanger case 2, and a noise-absorbing member 9 which encloses an outer side of the guide member 8 and absorbs noise generated during upward and downward moving of the weight 10 in the guide member 8.
In the hatch door apparatus according to the publication as constructed above, the noise-absorbing member 9 is disposed between walls of one of the hatch doors 4 and 4a and the guide member 8 in order to enclose the guide member 8. The weight 10 is disposed in the space defined by inner surfaces of the guide member 8 as to move upward and downward. The weight 10 is connected to the hanger case 2 by means of the rope 12 which is supported by pulley 13 attached to a door hanger 14a. Thus, as the rope 12 is pulled upward with being supported by the pulley 13 when to open the hatch doors 4 and 4a of the elevator, the weight 10 also is moved upward along the guide member 8. On the other hand, as the rope 12 is pulled downward with being supported by the pulley 13 when to close the hatch doors 4 and 4a of the elevator, the weight 10 also is moved downward along the guide member 8. At this time, the noise-absorbing member 9 can temper noise generated due to a friction between the weight 10, which moves upward and downward in the guide member 8, and the inner surfaces of the guide member 8.
In the hatch door apparatus according to the publication, however, even though the noise-absorbing member can absorb the noise generated due to the upward and downward moving of the weight in the guide member, there is a problem in that it is not possible to perfectly prevent the noise from being transferred into the inner side of the elevator cabin. Furthermore, there is a disadvantage in that processes of making the hatch doors are somewhat complicated because the noise-absorbing member is positioned between the guide member and the walls of the hatch doors in order to prevent the noise from transferring into the space of the elevator cabin.